Lawmakers continue sniping over stimulus money vote

A House committee vote to recommend that Texas accept the federal government’s $550 million unemployment money (see post below) bothered Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Denton, enough to complain about it an hour later.

“The purpose of this committee is fact finding. We are still in the process of doing that,” Crownover, vice chair of the House select committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding, told the panel’s chairman, Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco.

“I was very disappointed in the procedure this afternoon. We were told that our committee would not be voting and, all of a sudden, we have a vote that pops up with three minutes notice,” she said.

A couple other committee members were in the building but were not aware of the pending vote, she said: “I just thought that was not appropriate, and I’m disappointed.”

Dunnam said he was sorry about her disappointment butthe committee was instructed to make recommendations.

He noted that Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, had shared the resolution with Crownover.

“I was informed that you were not going to vote for it, so I saw no reason to delay,” Dunnam said.

Crownover again complained about not knowing a vote would happen today. Dunnam again said he was “sorry that you are disappointed.”

And then she got up and left the room.

And the argument will continue. Some groups sympathetic with the governor applauded Perry’s rejection of the unemployment money because it comes with strings attached. Others criticized the governor for turning down $550 million at a time when the state’s unemployment insurance fund is projected to have an $812 million deficit by fall.

The Legislature is expected to consider legislation soon that would overturn Perry’s decision.